2 weeks ago
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Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to maintain their perfect start in the Europa League this season when they travel to the cauldron of Istanbul on Thursday to face a Galatasaray side led by loan star Victor Osimhen.
The Nigerian moved to the Turkish giants on loan in early September after being frozen out at Napoli, where former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte took over after the Italian side failed to defend their Serie A title effectively.
Osimhen was the star of Napoli’s run to the Scudetto in 2023 and was expected to be sold in the last transfer window, but no takers met his 130 million euro ($142m) release clause.
Instead, he agreed to a season-long loan move to Galatasaray, where, at the end of the term, the Turkish champions do not have the option to sign him permanently.
While his future remains uncertain for next year, the 25-year-old can only focus on enjoying a successful season in Turkey, away from the limelight of Europe’s biggest leagues.
Galatasaray failed to qualify for the Champions League after losing to Young Boys over two legs in August, leaving them to compete in the Europa League.
Osimhen has started in home victories against PAOK of Greece and Elfsborg of Sweden, missing an away draw with RFS of Latvia due to injury.
He has yet to score in European competition, with Galatasaray’s top scorer this season being Mauro Icardi, the former Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain striker, who has netted six times so far.
Next are Turkish internationals Yunus Akgun and Baris Yilmaz, both of whom have five goals for Okan Buruk’s side.
Osimhen has scored four goals, all coming in his last three domestic league appearances, including what proved to be the winner in a home derby against Besiktas on October 28.
The manner in which he celebrated that header—tearing off his trademark protective face mask and running towards the corner flag before punching the air in delight—suggested he is already fully invested in the Galatasaray cause.
Mourinho Jibe
Osimhen has also already featured in an even bigger fixture, the Istanbul derby against Fenerbahce, now coached by Jose Mourinho.
The latter is the other big recent arrival in Turkish football, alongside another former Tottenham coach, Conte.
Mourinho, who faced Osimhen in Italy when he was in charge at Roma, attempted to wind up the Nigerian ahead of their meeting on September 21 by accusing him of diving.
“We have a very good relationship, but every time I play against him, I speak with him because I don’t like the way he behaves. He dives too much,” Mourinho reportedly told Turkish media in a television interview.
Osimhen has partnered Icardi in attack, but against Fenerbahce, he started up front alone as Galatasaray won 3-1 away to their great rivals on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
Tottenham is the next major challenge for Osimhen and his team, who can move above Spurs in the Europa League standings with a victory.
Galatasaray’s squad also features Dries Mertens, Michy Batshuayi, and ex-Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez. The match should be comfortably the biggest test yet for Ange Postecoglou’s side in this season’s competition.
AFP
